Bill Text: NY A10567 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to the contents and adjudication, of notices of violation returnable to a parking violations bureau in New York city; increases the fine for tractors, trailers, or related vehicles that park on residential streets overnight.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-04 - referred to transportation [A10567 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A10567-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10567

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      June 4, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Cunningham)
          -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation

        AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the administrative  code
          of the city of New York, in relation to the contents and adjudication,
          of notices of violation returnable to a parking violations bureau, and
          to  increase the fine for tractors, trailers, or related vehicles that
          park on residential streets overnight

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Subdivision  2  of section 237 of the vehicle and traffic
     2  law, as amended by chapter 458 of the laws of 2010, is amended  to  read
     3  as follows:
     4    2.  To  provide  for penalties other than imprisonment for (a) parking
     5  violations in accordance with a schedule of monetary  fines  and  penal-
     6  ties,  provided  however, that monetary penalties shall not exceed fifty
     7  dollars for each parking violation other than (i) in a city with a popu-
     8  lation of one million or more,  violations  committed  in  spaces  where
     9  stopping  or  standing  is prohibited for which monetary penalties shall
    10  not exceed one hundred dollars and, (ii) handicapped parking  violations
    11  for which monetary penalties shall not exceed one hundred fifty dollars;
    12  and (b) abandoned vehicle violations, except in a city with a population
    13  of  one million or more, provided however, that monetary penalties shall
    14  not be less than two hundred fifty dollars nor more  than  one  thousand
    15  dollars  for  each  abandoned  vehicle  violation; and (c) a city with a
    16  population of one million or more may impose a monetary penalty of up to
    17  [two hundred fifty] one thousand dollars for [a first] each offense [and
    18  up to five hundred dollars for subsequent offenses within  a  six  month
    19  period]  for  tractor-trailer  combinations,  tractors,  truck  trailers
    20  [and],  semi-trailers,  and  semi-trailers  without  a  towing   vehicle
    21  attached parked overnight on streets in residential neighborhoods;
    22    §  2.  Subdivision 2 of section 238 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
    23  amended by chapter 224 of the laws  of  1995,  is  amended  to  read  as
    24  follows:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11660-06-4

        A. 10567                            2

     1    2.  A notice of violation shall be served personally upon the operator
     2  of a motor vehicle who is present at the time of service, and [his] such
     3  operator's name, together with the plate designation and the plate  type
     4  as  shown  by the registration plates of said vehicle and the expiration
     5  date,  provided  that  where  the vehicle has no such registration plate
     6  issued by the commissioner, the commissioner's agent, or the  equivalent
     7  official  or  agents  from another state, territory, district, province,
     8  nation or other  jurisdiction,  or  where  such  registration  plate  is
     9  concealed or obscured, the vehicle identification number may be inserted
    10  in  such  notice in place of or in addition to the plate designation and
    11  plate type; the make or model, and, provided that a body type  is  indi-
    12  cated on the registration sticker of said vehicle, the body type of said
    13  vehicle;  a  description  of  the  charged  violation, including but not
    14  limited to a reference to the applicable traffic rule  or  provision  of
    15  this  chapter;  information as to the days and hours the applicable rule
    16  or provision of this chapter is  in  effect,  unless  always  in  effect
    17  pursuant to rule or this chapter and where appropriate the word ALL when
    18  the  days and/or hours in effect are everyday and/or twenty-four hours a
    19  day; the meter number for a meter violation, where appropriate; and  the
    20  date,  time and particular place of occurrence of the charged violation,
    21  shall be inserted therein. A mere listing of a meter number in cases  of
    22  charged  meter violations shall not be deemed to constitute a sufficient
    23  description of a particular place of occurrence  for  purposes  of  this
    24  subdivision.  The  notice of violation shall be served upon the owner of
    25  the motor vehicle if the operator  is  not  present,  by  affixing  such
    26  notice  to  said vehicle in a conspicuous place. Whenever such notice is
    27  so affixed, in lieu of inserting the name of the person charged with the
    28  violation in the space provided for the identification of  said  person,
    29  the  words  "owner of the vehicle bearing license" may be inserted to be
    30  followed by the plate designation and plate type as shown by the  regis-
    31  tration  plates  of  said  vehicle  together  with  the expiration date,
    32  provided that where the vehicle has no such registration plate issued by
    33  the commissioner, the commissioner's agent, or the  equivalent  official
    34  or  agents  from another state, territory, district, province, nation or
    35  other jurisdiction, or where such registration  plate  is  concealed  or
    36  obscured,  the  vehicle  identification  number  may be inserted in such
    37  notice in place of the plate designation and  plate  type,  such  notice
    38  shall  indicate  the reason for insertion of such vehicle identification
    39  number, and supporting photographic documentation may be  provided;  the
    40  make or model, and, provided that a body type is indicated on the regis-
    41  tration  sticker  of  said  vehicle,  the  body  type of said vehicle; a
    42  description of the charged violation, including but  not  limited  to  a
    43  reference  to  the applicable traffic rule or provision of this chapter;
    44  information as to the days and hours the applicable rule or provision of
    45  this chapter is in effect unless always in effect pursuant  to  rule  or
    46  this  chapter  and  where  appropriate the word ALL when the days and/or
    47  hours in effect are every day and/or twenty-four hours a day; the  meter
    48  number  for  a meter violation where appropriate; and the date, time and
    49  particular place of occurrence of the charged violation.  Service of the
    50  notice of violation, or a duplicate  thereof  by  affixation  as  herein
    51  provided  shall  have  the same force and effect and shall be subject to
    52  the same  penalties  for  disregard  thereof  as  though  the  same  was
    53  personally served with the name of the person charged with the violation
    54  inserted therein.

        A. 10567                            3

     1    §  3.  Paragraph  (a) of subdivision 2-a of section 238 of the vehicle
     2  and traffic law, as added by chapter 224 of the laws of 1995, is amended
     3  to read as follows:
     4    (a)  Notwithstanding  any inconsistent provision of subdivision two of
     5  this section, where the plate type or the expiration date are not  shown
     6  on  either  the registration plates or sticker of a vehicle or where the
     7  registration sticker is covered, faded, defaced or mutilated so that  it
     8  is  unreadable,  or cannot be located on such vehicle, the plate type or
     9  the expiration date  may  be  omitted  from  the  notice  of  violation;
    10  provided,  however,  [such] that the condition or absence of such plates
    11  or sticker must be so described and inserted on the notice of  violation
    12  and that supporting photographic documentation may be provided.
    13    §  4. Subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (c) of subdivision 2-a of section
    14  238 of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by chapter 409 of the  laws
    15  of 2001, is amended to read as follows:
    16    (ii)  Notice  shall  be  served on the owner by mail to the last known
    17  registered address within the greater of six years of the  date  of  the
    18  dismissal  or two years of the time that the enforcing authority discov-
    19  ers, or could  with  reasonable  diligence  have  discovered,  that  the
    20  dismissal  was  procured  due  to  the  knowing  fraud, false testimony,
    21  misrepresentation, or other misconduct, or the knowing alteration  of  a
    22  notice  of  parking  violation, by the person so charged or [his or her]
    23  such person's agent, employee, or representative. Such notice shall  fix
    24  a  time  when  and  place where a hearing shall be held before a hearing
    25  examiner to determine whether or not  dismissal  of  a  charged  parking
    26  violation  shall be set aside. Such notice shall set forth the basis for
    27  setting aside the dismissal and advise the owner that failure to  appear
    28  at  the date and time indicated in such notice shall be deemed an admis-
    29  sion of liability and shall result in the setting aside of the dismissal
    30  and entry of a determination on the charged  parking  violation.    Such
    31  notice  shall also contain a warning that civil penalties may be imposed
    32  for the violation pursuant to this paragraph and that a default judgment
    33  may be entered thereon.
    34    § 5. Section 242 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a
    35  new subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
    36    3-a. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, in
    37  cities having a population of one million or more persons,  an  adminis-
    38  trative appeal of a determination regarding a notice of violation served
    39  on an owner or operator of a commercial vehicle, as such term is defined
    40  in  section  4-01  of  title thirty-four of the rules of the city of New
    41  York, shall be conducted only when an appellant has either:
    42    (a) posted a bond in the amount of the determination appealed from; or
    43    (b) paid to the parking violations bureau the following penalties  and
    44  surcharges, as applicable:
    45    (i)  any  penalty  imposed  pursuant  to  a notice of liability issued
    46  pursuant to a program authorized by section three hundred eighty-five-a,
    47  eleven  hundred  eleven-a,  eleven  hundred  eleven-c,  eleven   hundred
    48  eleven-c-one, or eleven hundred eighty-b of this chapter, other than any
    49  additional penalty imposed for failure to respond to a notice of liabil-
    50  ity within the prescribed time period; and
    51    (ii)  any surcharge levied pursuant to a notice of violation issued in
    52  accordance with sections eighteen hundred nine-a  and  eighteen  hundred
    53  nine-b of this chapter.
    54    §  6.  Subdivision 6 of section 242 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
    55  added by chapter 515 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:

        A. 10567                            4

     1    6. When charges have been overturned by a court or any other  adminis-
     2  trative  body or officer, the party in whose favor the appeal is decided
     3  shall be entitled to have returned an amount equal to any fine or penal-
     4  ty imposed and collected from the parking  violations  bureau,  less  an
     5  amount  equal to any such penalty described in subparagraph (i) of para-
     6  graph (b) of subdivision three-a of this section that was paid after the
     7  time period to contest the notice of liability has expired, within thir-
     8  ty days of the entry of the  judgement;  provided,  however,  that  such
     9  court, administrative body or officer shall have the authority to lessen
    10  from such amount any debt owed by such party and shall apply this amount
    11  to  any  outstanding fines and penalties owed by the same individual. If
    12  payment is not made within thirty days, a penalty shall  accrue  at  the
    13  same  rate  as that imposed for failure to make timely payment of a fine
    14  and shall be paid by the parking violations bureau;  provided,  however,
    15  that  in  a  city  with  a population of one million or more, where such
    16  amount exceeds five thousand dollars, a court may extend the time for  a
    17  parking violations bureau to return such an amount to a reasonable peri-
    18  od of time after entry of the judgment.
    19    § 7. Subdivisions (a) and (b) of section 1204 of the vehicle and traf-
    20  fic  law,  as amended by chapter 193 of the laws of 1974, are amended to
    21  read as follows:
    22    (a) Whenever any police officer, or in a city having a  population  in
    23  excess  of  one  million  any  person  designated by the commissioner of
    24  [traffic] transportation of such city or on highways under the jurisdic-
    25  tion of the New York state thruway authority, the office  of  parks  and
    26  recreation,  a  county  park  commission,  a parkway authority, a bridge
    27  authority or a bridge and tunnel authority any person designated by such
    28  office, commission or authority, finds a vehicle standing upon a highway
    29  in violation of any of the foregoing provisions  of  this  article  such
    30  officer is hereby authorized to move such vehicle, or require the driver
    31  or  other person in charge of the vehicle to move the same to a position
    32  off the paved or main-traveled part of such highway.
    33    (b) 1. Whenever any police officer, or in a city having  a  population
    34  in  excess  of  one million any person designated by the commissioner of
    35  [traffic] transportation of such city or on highways under the jurisdic-
    36  tion of the New York state thruway authority, the office  of  parks  and
    37  recreation,  a  county  park  commission,  a parkway authority, a bridge
    38  authority or a bridge and tunnel authority any person designated by such
    39  office, commission or authority finds  a  vehicle  unattended  where  it
    40  constitutes  an  obstruction  to  traffic,  or any place where stopping,
    41  standing or parking is prohibited, such officer is hereby authorized  to
    42  provide  for  the  removal  of such vehicle, semitrailer or trailer to a
    43  garage, automobile pound or other place of safety.
    44    2. In any city with a population of one million or more, whenever  any
    45  police  officer,  or any person designated by the commissioner of [traf-
    46  fic] transportation, finds a tractor-trailer combination, tractor, truck
    47  trailer, semitrailer or trailer without  a  tractor  or  towing  vehicle
    48  attached,  parked  or  unattended  on  any  city street, such officer or
    49  person designated by [the] such  commissioner  [of  traffic]  is  hereby
    50  authorized  to  provide for the removal of such [semitrailer] vehicle or
    51  trailer to a garage, automobile pound or other place of safety, provided
    52  that such  a  vehicle  or  trailer  found  parked  or  unattended  while
    53  connected  to  a state or local government sanctioned film or television
    54  production shall be removed pursuant to such authority only where neces-
    55  sary to protect public safety or as otherwise authorized  by  law.    In
    56  addition  to  any  other charge authorized by this section, the owner or

        A. 10567                            5

     1  other person lawfully entitled to the possession of a vehicle or trailer
     2  removed pursuant to this paragraph, other than such a vehicle or trailer
     3  found parked or unattended while connected to a state or  local  govern-
     4  ment  sanctioned  film  or  television production, shall be subject to a
     5  fine of up to one thousand dollars.
     6    § 8. Subdivision c of section 19-170 of the administrative code of the
     7  city of New York, as amended by local law number 74 of the city  of  New
     8  York for the year 2019, is amended to read as follows:
     9    c.  1.  Except as otherwise provided in [paragraphs 2 and 3] paragraph
    10  two of this subdivision, a violation of this section shall be punishable
    11  by the monetary fine authorized for violation of  the  rules  and  regu-
    12  lations  of  the  commissioner  in paragraph [1] one of subdivision a of
    13  section [2903] twenty-nine hundred three of the charter.
    14    2. A [first] violation of this section, when the commercial vehicle is
    15  a tractor-trailer combination, tractor, truck trailer [or], semi-trailer
    16  or semi-trailer without a towing vehicle attached, shall  be  punishable
    17  by a monetary [fine] penalty of [$250] up to one thousand dollars.  [Any
    18  such  subsequent violation of this section by the same owner, as defined
    19  in paragraph a of subdivision 1 of section 239 of the vehicle and  traf-
    20  fic  law,  within  a  six month period shall be punishable by a monetary
    21  fine of $500.
    22    3. As an alternative to any other means of enforcement of this  subdi-
    23  vision  authorized  by  law,  a first violation of subdivision b of this
    24  section, when the commercial vehicle is a  tractor-trailer  combination,
    25  tractor,  truck  trailer or semi-trailer, shall be punishable by a civil
    26  penalty of $400. Any such subsequent violation of subdivision b of  this
    27  section by the same owner, as defined in paragraph a of subdivision 1 of
    28  section  239  of  the vehicle and traffic law, within a six month period
    29  shall be punishable by a civil penalty of  $800.  Such  civil  penalties
    30  shall be recoverable in a proceeding before the office of administrative
    31  trials and hearings.]
    32    §  9.  This  act  shall take effect immediately, provided that section
    33  four of this act shall apply with respect to any determination  made  on
    34  or  after  the  first day of the first month succeeding the sixtieth day
    35  after this act shall have become a law.
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